1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of South Dakota](/school/university-of-south-dakota/) 4. / 5. Programs & majors brief Programs & majors brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of South Dakota Majors & Programs Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-south-dakota/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-south-dakota/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-south-dakota/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-south-dakota/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/university-of-south-dakota/similar/) **On this page**+ ## Which majors earn the most at University of South Dakota? At University of South Dakota, four-year earnings differ sharply across fields, so the program selected matters to the return picture. Health and Medical Administrative Services sits at the higher end, with median earnings of $74,816 four years after completion and 19 degrees awarded. Nursing also posts higher earnings of $73,025 across 163 degrees awarded. The more moderate-earning fields in this group include Business Administration and Management, at $64,890 with 75 degrees awarded, and Teacher Education, at $46,034 with 100 degrees awarded. Higher earnings appear in health-related fields here, while the large education field sits at a more moderate level. ### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity. - Health professions**389 · 30.3%** - Business**242 · 18.8%** - Education**142 · 11.1%** - Biological sciences**77 · 6.0%** - Psychology**66 · 5.1%** - Other**369 · 28.7%** Find a field Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name 39 of 39 programs shown Four-year earnings · first six matching programs **Health and Medical Administrative Services 19 degrees awarded** $74,816 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 163 degrees awarded** $73,025 **Economics 14 degrees awarded** $71,463 **Accounting and Related Services 55 degrees awarded** $71,179 **Finance and Financial Management Services 46 degrees awarded** $70,100 **Dental Support Services and Allied Professions 37 degrees awarded** $68,556 Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample. Compare all matching programs Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks | Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Health and Medical Administrative Services small degree count | 19 | $74,816 | — | | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 163 | $73,025 | — | | Economics small degree count | 14 | $71,463 | — | | Accounting and Related Services | 55 | $71,179 | — | | Finance and Financial Management Services | 46 | $70,100 | — | | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 37 | $68,556 | — | | Business Administration, Management and Operations | 75 | $64,890 | — | | Communication Disorders Sciences and Services small degree count | 18 | $64,069 | — | | Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 78 | $61,518 | — | | Political Science and Government | 28 | $61,362 | — | | Biology, General | 69 | $58,099 | — | | Criminal Justice and Corrections | 40 | $58,046 | — | | Marketing | 40 | $55,261 | — | | Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 66 | $52,211 | — | | Communication and Media Studies | 56 | $52,100 | — | | Psychology, General | 66 | $50,993 | — | | Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 53 | $50,306 | — | | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 16 | $50,270 | — | | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 100 | $46,034 | — | | Special Education and Teaching | 26 | $45,415 | — | | History small degree count | 8 | $45,096 | — | | Fine and Studio Arts small degree count | 13 | $43,945 | — | | English Language and Literature, General small degree count | 8 | $31,155 | — | | Computer and Information Sciences, General small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Neurobiology and Neurosciences small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Sustainability Studies small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — | | International/Globalization Studies small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 59 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Philosophy small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Chemistry small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Anthropology small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Sociology small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Music small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — | | Human Resources Management and Services small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — | [Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) ## What are the largest programs at University of South Dakota? Ten largest programs by degrees awarded **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** 163 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods** 100 **Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General** 78 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** 75 **Biology, General** 69 **Psychology, General** 66 **Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions** 66 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** 59 **Communication and Media Studies** 56 **Accounting and Related Services** 55 Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources) ## How do University of South Dakota majors rank nationally? National program ranks are not reported for this school. [How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) ## Further analysis Outcomes at University of South Dakota vary sharply by field, and [Azimuth's program ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s evaluate four-year earnings among completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. The university has published earnings data for 23 bachelor's programs. Award counts here are degrees awarded in one academic year, not a count of students. The degree mix is concentrated in health and business. Health Professions accounts for 30.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 18.8% and Education at 11.1%. The largest single program, Nursing, awarded 163 degrees and shows median earnings of $73,025 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Health and Medical Administrative Services graduates earn $74,816, from 19 degrees awarded. Teacher Education, the second-largest program at 100 degrees, reports median earnings of $46,034, well below the top earners. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).